Detroit Hit-and-Run: Red Chrysler 300
TruckCrash News daily report.
By TruckCrash News Desk · Published August 12, 2026
| Date & time | Thursday, August 6, 2026, at approximately 5:20 p.m.; police appeal for tips published August 12 |
| Location | Westphalia Street at Linnhurst Street, east side of Detroit, Wayne County |
| Vehicles | Red 2006–2010 Chrysler 300 (fled the scene); one person struck |
| Injuries | One victim in critical condition |
| Road impact | None reported in the police appeal |
| Investigating agency | Detroit Police Department — Fatal Squad Unit |
What Happened
Detroit police are asking for the public’s help identifying a red Chrysler 300 wanted in connection with a hit-and-run crash that left a victim critically injured on the city’s east side, according to a report published Tuesday morning, August 12, 2026, by WDIV ClickOnDetroit. The crash itself happened nearly a week earlier — at about 5:20 p.m. on Thursday, August 6 — at Westphalia Street and Linnhurst Street, in a residential neighborhood near Gratiot Avenue and Outer Drive.
According to the police account reported by WDIV, the red Chrysler was traveling northbound on Westphalia Street when it disregarded a stop sign, struck the victim, and fled the scene. The victim’s condition was described as critical. Police did not release the victim’s name or age in the appeal.
Investigators described the wanted vehicle as a red 2006–2010 Chrysler 300 with front-end damage, a missing fog light cover, and extensive undercarriage damage, and said it was traveling with no license plate. It was last seen heading eastbound on Eastwood Street from Westphalia Street, per the report.
Reporting: WDIV ClickOnDetroit, with information from the Detroit Police Department.
The Investigation: What Happens Next
The case is being handled by the Detroit Police Department’s Fatal Squad Unit, which investigates the city’s most serious traffic crashes. The public appeal — complete with a detailed description of the car’s damage and its last known direction of travel — suggests investigators are working to locate the vehicle and its driver nearly a week after the crash.
In hit-and-run cases like this one, investigators typically canvass the area for home-surveillance and business-camera footage, follow up on tips about vehicles matching the description, and check body shops and salvage records for a car with matching damage. Because the Chrysler was reportedly traveling without a license plate, physical identifiers — the missing fog light cover and front-end damage — may be central to finding it.
The Legal Picture
What happens to a hit-and-run driver who is found? Leaving the scene of a crash that causes serious injury is a felony in Michigan. Any charging decision would come from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office after police identify a suspect and complete their investigation.
How are victims of hit-and-run drivers covered in Michigan? Even when an at-fault driver flees and is never identified, Michigan’s no-fault system is designed so that crash victims can still receive medical and wage-loss benefits, in some cases through the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan. Our overview of Michigan no-fault insurance explains how those benefits work.
Why do police release vehicle descriptions? Public appeals often break hit-and-run cases: a neighbor, mechanic, or family member recognizes the damage described and comes forward. Tips can be left anonymously.
Nothing in this article assumes fault by any identified person. The description of the wanted vehicle comes from the Detroit Police Department’s appeal as reported by WDIV, and no arrest had been announced as of publication.
This Stretch of Road
Westphalia Street is a residential side street on Detroit’s east side, running through the neighborhoods between Gratiot Avenue and Kelly Road. Like many east-side blocks, it is lined with homes and controlled by stop signs rather than signals — and crashes at these neighborhood intersections often involve a driver failing to stop. The surrounding street grid gives a fleeing driver many quick routes away, which is one reason detailed vehicle descriptions and camera footage matter so much in this area.
If You Saw This Crash
Anyone who witnessed the crash at Westphalia and Linnhurst on the evening of August 6, has camera footage from the area, or knows the whereabouts of a red 2006–2010 Chrysler 300 with front-end damage and a missing fog light cover can contact the Detroit Police Department’s Fatal Squad Unit at 313-596-2260, Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 1-800-SPEAK-UP, or DetroitRewards.TV, referencing report No. 2608060308. Tips through Crime Stoppers can be made anonymously.
Original reporting: WDIV ClickOnDetroit — Police seek driver of red Chrysler 300 involved in critical hit-and-run crash on Detroit’s east side.
About TruckCrash News
TruckCrash News covers Michigan traffic crashes daily so that families, witnesses, and communities have a clear, sourced record of what happened on our roads. Every article is compiled from official releases and credible local reporting, and we attribute every fact to its source. This article is a news report, not legal advice; details may be updated as agencies release new information. If you see an error, contact us and we will correct it promptly.